Perfumer: Ane Ayo
The iconic, trendsetting fashionista gets ready for the day. With casual elegance she reaches for her perfume bottle. With a love for the unusual this leathery floral scent inspires her originality. Citrus and florals are made richer and more complex with animalic molecules and ambroxan resulting in a sensual and desirous diffusion.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is the scent of a composed, self-aware entrance: close enough to feel personal, but textured enough to linger in the room after you’ve moved on. It suits a polished setting where leather, florals and skin warmth read as confidence rather than noise.
How to wear
Best worn in cool to mild weather, where its leathery floral structure can unfold without becoming too dense. One to three sprays are enough to let the orange blossom and citrus lift the opening before the animalic-musky base settles into a warm, persistent trail on skin.
Who it’s for
For wearers who like their florals edged with leather, musk and a slightly animalic twist. It will appeal to those drawn to unconventional, sensual fragrances with a modern niche feel and a balance of brightness, texture and depth.
Release year
2022
The nose
Ane Ayo is a contemporary perfumer known for polished, modern compositions that balance texture, radiance and sensuality. Her work often leans into clean structure with a distinctive material richness, making her a strong fit for fragrances that need both clarity and depth. In Forbidden Elixir, she shapes a leathery floral accord around orange blossom, citrus and animalic molecules, giving the scent its unusual tension between brightness and skin-like warmth. The result reflects her ability to make bold materials feel wearable and controlled rather than heavy.
Collaborators
Sly John's Lab’s founders, Serge and Helen Mints, appear to have shaped the brand’s debut vision and positioning, steering the house toward unconventional, accessible niche perfumery under its “People for People” idea. For this fragrance, the creative brief clearly frames an iconic, trendsetting fashionista and a love of the unusual, guiding the perfumer’s composition.
Sly John's Lab’s story
Sly John's Lab builds its identity around stylish, unconventional niche fragrances designed to feel creative and approachable rather than rarefied. The house positions itself for a young, progressive audience and favors compositions that provoke curiosity while remaining accessible in price and presentation.
Forbidden Elixir’s concept
Forbidden Elixir was launched in 2022 as part of Sly John's Lab’s debut collection of seven fragrances, developed over two years. The scent was conceived as a leathery floral with a fashion-forward character: citrus and orange blossom are made denser and more sensual through ambroxan, animalic notes and muscenone.
Extra info
Forbidden Elixir is part of Sly John's Lab’s debut seven-fragrance collection. It is sold as a 100 ml Eau de Parfum and is noted for above-average projection and longevity. Some retailers list ambrette among the top notes, alongside the more widely cited citrus opening.
Perfumer: Ane Ayo
The iconic, trendsetting fashionista gets ready for the day. With casual elegance she reaches for her perfume bottle. With a love for the unusual this leathery floral scent inspires her originality. Citrus and florals are made richer and more complex with animalic molecules and ambroxan resulting in a sensual and desirous diffusion.
All about this fragrance
Vibe check
This is the scent of a composed, self-aware entrance: close enough to feel personal, but textured enough to linger in the room after you’ve moved on. It suits a polished setting where leather, florals and skin warmth read as confidence rather than noise.
How to wear
Best worn in cool to mild weather, where its leathery floral structure can unfold without becoming too dense. One to three sprays are enough to let the orange blossom and citrus lift the opening before the animalic-musky base settles into a warm, persistent trail on skin.
Who it’s for
For wearers who like their florals edged with leather, musk and a slightly animalic twist. It will appeal to those drawn to unconventional, sensual fragrances with a modern niche feel and a balance of brightness, texture and depth.
Release year
2022
The nose
Ane Ayo is a contemporary perfumer known for polished, modern compositions that balance texture, radiance and sensuality. Her work often leans into clean structure with a distinctive material richness, making her a strong fit for fragrances that need both clarity and depth. In Forbidden Elixir, she shapes a leathery floral accord around orange blossom, citrus and animalic molecules, giving the scent its unusual tension between brightness and skin-like warmth. The result reflects her ability to make bold materials feel wearable and controlled rather than heavy.
Collaborators
Sly John's Lab’s founders, Serge and Helen Mints, appear to have shaped the brand’s debut vision and positioning, steering the house toward unconventional, accessible niche perfumery under its “People for People” idea. For this fragrance, the creative brief clearly frames an iconic, trendsetting fashionista and a love of the unusual, guiding the perfumer’s composition.
Sly John's Lab’s story
Sly John's Lab builds its identity around stylish, unconventional niche fragrances designed to feel creative and approachable rather than rarefied. The house positions itself for a young, progressive audience and favors compositions that provoke curiosity while remaining accessible in price and presentation.
Forbidden Elixir’s concept
Forbidden Elixir was launched in 2022 as part of Sly John's Lab’s debut collection of seven fragrances, developed over two years. The scent was conceived as a leathery floral with a fashion-forward character: citrus and orange blossom are made denser and more sensual through ambroxan, animalic notes and muscenone.
Extra info
Forbidden Elixir is part of Sly John's Lab’s debut seven-fragrance collection. It is sold as a 100 ml Eau de Parfum and is noted for above-average projection and longevity. Some retailers list ambrette among the top notes, alongside the more widely cited citrus opening.